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They are this crystalline blue with golden flecks in them. The more I sip the tea, the clearer the eyes are to me, but I don’t have any more of his face. Nothing more than the two eyes blinking slowly at me.

A scuff of boots across the dirt path leading to my house draws my eyes to the sound. Caelon is walking home. One of the fewtimes I’ve actually seen that happen. He looks right at me. His hazel eyes clear as a cloudless day as he smiles at me with a wave before turning to walk up his steps to his front door.

My tea sits in my hand forgotten as I watch him walk into his house. My eyes track him as his muscles bunch and ripple beneath his shirt. My heart rate picks up as he gives me one final glance, wishing he would turn around fully, walk across the road, and sit with me on the porch swing as we sipped tea together. I’ve never been drawn to any guy like I am right now. As if my world begins and ends with him.What is happening?

The tea is cool as I take my next sip, watching Caelon’s house as lights flicker on inside. Sora whimpers as we watch for any sign that he will join us tonight. Those eyes appear again and this time, I think I focus on them as I sip the tea more.Why are you so familiar to me? What am I missing?

Sora whimpers again as she nudges me to look back at Caelon. Those blue eyes feel as if they are also probing me to figure out the secret. Like words stuck on my tongue, I know the answer is right there, but just out of reach.

The front door to Caelon’s cabin creaks open again, as my heart rate spikes. Is he coming over? Both Sora and I watch in rapt attention, hanging on to the hope that he will come. With a math book tucked under one arm and a mug in his hand, he walks to his porch swing to sit down. My excitement bursts like a balloon too close to heat, one thing that is clear for me right now? I have a crush on my neighbor, and I don’t think he looks at me that way.

Chapter 5

Caelon

Tuesday June 17th - If only people were as easy…

Numbers don’t judge.

They don’t ask me why I’m not like my brother.

They only ask for me to figure out the answer. I like that about them. They are easy, predictable, and always there when I need them.

They don’t have emotions, changing based on how you feel. They don’t smirk when they hear me walking up, or leave traces of sandalwood and musk behind when they pass by. They are just here, behaving.

Not like my wolf.

And definitely not like my heart.

I’ve been staring at the page of numbers for hours now, trying to get my brain to focus on the task at hand. It’s not the numbers failing me today, it’s me. I drag my pen down the column of numbers for the fourth time in the last ten minutes. With the Summer Solstice Festival coming in three days, I really want to make sure we don’t blow our budget this year. Between food, lighting, staging, cleanup crews, and security, there isn’t a single dollar of wiggle room. Thankfully the mountain lions have stepped in to be security, relieving us of some of the burden, but not much.

The neat lines of numbers line my leather ledger, showing not a single penny out of place. All the money coming in from the various shifter businesses, donations from pack families, and our own leaders' contributions, is accounted for. In the last six months I’ve been able to pull us from being completely in the red, to being in the black, a term for breaking even on your expenses and incomes. We can never go back into the red, pushing us into a place where we are unable to continue to provide a safe space for wolves to exist without the pressures of the typical pack life. Other packs would attempt to come in and challenge Silas for his position as Alpha. Finances are a big part of an Alpha’s strength as it shows his ability to care for his pack.

The stiff page cracks with a vibrating pop as I flip the page to the next set of numbers to review for the day. Silas laughs every time because he knows no matter what, I’ll look over my ledger each day ensuring nothing has changed. My finger is about to run down the next line when the smell of a summer thunderstorm reaches me.

The ocean is calling me like a siren begging for the sailor to jump overboard.

She’s here.

Her scent washes over me like a tidal wave before a hurricane. Drowning me in her sea salt and ylang ylang. Like a man swimming to the surface for air, I can feel myself moving towards her. My wolf surges forward causing the chair to scoot out from under us. Calix is pushing so hard I’m afraid I might lose control before I can stop him. He’s trying to take over, push me to the back where I can’t control the outcome.

A growl rips from me as Calix’s anger bursts from us.

“Let me go to her.”

“Wecan’t.”

“She’s right there.”

“She’s not our mate and she hasn’t even had a chance to figure out who it is.”

“She’sOURS!”

“You can’t know that Calix. Plus she is only a teenager.”

“Mark my words Caelon, she will be our mate. You just wait and see.”

He stops pushing for us to walk out of the room, choosing instead to pace back and forth inside us.